Emergency Preparedness

Emergency and Disaster Response

Coordination and response services for people with behavioral health needs, developmental disabilities and the broader community to expedite attaining a safe environment and assist in recovery from emergencies/disasters.

Things to Know About Emergency-Related Threats

Arm yourself and your family with accurate, timely, health related information.Use the resources offered in this Family Readiness Guide, and in the event of an emergency, stay tuned to local media for continuing updates from Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Public Health, Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Team, and other emergency response organizations.

Get the facts about any special health concerns you or your loved ones might have. Keep this information in a safe place, so anyone in your family can find and share it quickly with medical workers and health care professionals if the need arises.

Talk with your children and elderly or relatives in poor healthto share information with them so they will feel more secure about your family’s ability to respond to any kind of emergency.

Check emergency preparedness steps your family has already taken. Make sure they are appropriate for health-related as well as weather-related threats. For example, in the unlikely event of a disease outbreak (i.e., flu, or even more remotely smallpox), a larger supply of food and water may be needed because it may take several days or even weeks before the outbreak can be safely contained.

Use a “common sense” approach to help your family be prepared.If there were a chemical or some other toxic spill for example, would your family need to seal windows or vents to prevent a chemical or biological agent from entering your home? Probably not. And there is no need what so ever to keep windows and other entry points sealed all the time, just as there is no need to leave windows boarded for an entire hurricane season. If your family would feel safer being prepared for that kind of protection, consider what kind of materials you would need, and how your family would work together to accomplish that task. Also consider: What would happen to your outdoor animals? How will you care for indoor pets if you can not allow them to go outside for an extended period of time?

Be connected to your community so you can be informed. Find out where you and your family can get accurate information during an emergency. Know the “right” sources for emergency information –parish health units, local emergency preparedness or sheriff’s offices, and local TV and radio stations. Be ready to pay special attention to media alerts AND BE READY TO LISTEN CAREFULLY AND RESPOND TO ALL INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED.

Keep your cool during an emergency. Fancy technologies, armies of doctors or dramatic newspaper headlines are not our most important resources. YOU are. A careful, “cool, calm and collected” response during an emergency will allow public health officials to move in quickly and take whatever steps are necessary to ensure your continuing health and safety and that of your family, friends and neighbors.